Spring-bearing.



T. H. MILLER.

SPRING BEARING.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29,1911.

1,107,69 1 Patented Aug. 18, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

mma'ssas; //VVEA/7'0/? W M W 5.5 WM By W mad UNITED s ra'r THEODORE H. MILLER,

OF POUGEKEEPSIE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE DE LAVAL SEPARATOR COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SPRING-BEARING.

Application filed Jane 29,

'1 '0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Txrnooom; H. MILLER, a citizen ofthe United States,- residing at loughkeepsie, county of Dutchess, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Spring-Bearings, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in spring bearings, particularly appliable to power driven centrifugal i'uachines. In such machines, the spring bearing generally used comprises a bearing formed in sections to allow amorement to prevent freezing of the spindle thereto. This bearing is spring supported'as follows: The outer surface of the bearing is polygonal.

\gainst the flat sides of the polygon rest plunger springs, which pass radially through a support which is inserted in the frame. This arrangement is not highly ef-' fective,

springs must be limited and any one spring breaking or becoming ineffective the spring support is materially affected. Again, it requires two piecesseparatc from the machine, the bearing and the support.

In myimproved spring bearing, I form the bearing, as befm'e, in sections, but such bearing is rovided, top and bottom, with an under c ut groove. I use instead of the spring plunger-s a series of spring fingers or series of groups of fingers. liuch of these fingers, or groups of fingers, has a solid por tion, rounded to conform to the curvature of the hearing, an adapted to enter the un dcr cut groove. Huch solid portion is also provided with an orifice adapted to be inserted over a pin, secured to the bearing for preventing the spring linger or groups of fingers dropping out. The outer surface of the bearing is rounded. This arrangement has, among others, the following advantages: Tl'ic' bearin", being rounded, requires no separate support and the support may be formed in the frame itself. The fingers or groups of fingers are iliter-changeable and may be used at any p nt, top or bottom. The breaking of a single finger, or group of lingers, produces but slight effect. The beat-- ing may be' readily assembled or disassei'ubled for adjustment or repairs, by the op Specification of Letters latent.

because, for instance. the number of 1911. Serial No. 635,992.

orator without the aid of any tools. The spring length is very great compared with the plunger springs. Indeed such length may be greater than the width or length of the bearing.

I will now describe the embodiment of my invention shown in the accompanying drawings, in which-- centrifugal separator, embodying my in? proved spring bearing. Fig. "2- is a detail. perspective view of the bearing. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3, Fig. 2. 'Fig. 4. is a detail view of spring fingers.

a is the casing of a centrifugal separator bowl, 6 the spindle. The hearing is formed in sections a. Each section, top and bottom, has the under cut'groove d-and the pin a.

f are spring fingers and (1 the solid pun tion to which they are connected, as shown, in pairs. The outer surface of the solid portion is curved to correspond with the curvature of the hearing and is, therefore, inten changeable, top or bottom, or at any portion of theheariug. This solid portion has the orifice it, in which the pin a may enter.- In practice, the solid portion is slipped-into the under cut groove and the pin a entered in the orifice h.

the full length of the hearing or, indeed, greater, thus producing a long or extended spring action. The exterior of the bearing is curved, which enables the frame itself to form the bearing. thus dispensing with a separate bearing holder.

Having now fully described my invention, what 1 claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is 1. A spring bearing comprising a surrounding casing, -an inner bearing having two sets of similarlfarranged pins projecting out from its periphcry-respectively near upper and lower ends, and two separate sets of interchangeable fingers, each set of fingers composed of a plurality of separate grcups of fingers and each group of lingers lwing composed of a plurality of fingers, I united together at one end and provided at i that end with an orifice adapted" to engage one of said .ins, the opposite free end portions of the fingers adapted to engage the casing.

2. A spring bearing comprising an inner Patented Aug. misfit.

The length ofthe springfingers 1 may be Figure l is a sectional view of a portion of form mg group conforming to the length of a section hearingand an outer. hearing one of which 1 has at its upper end a downwardly extending undercu'i groove and a plurality of pins projecting from the p iphery melon; the groove and at its lOWL end a similar upwardly extending undercut groove and a similar arrangement of pins above the last named groove, and two separate sets of .--pring fingers, each set composed oi independent interchangeable groups of spring fingers having orifices near one end, one of which fingers extends Within the upper groove and registers through its orifices with the upper pins and contacts with the lower part of the other hearing, While the ther set extends within the lower groove and registers through its orifices with the low 'r pins and cor t a-ts with the upper part of the other hearing.

3. A. spring hearing comprising an inner hearing, an er hearing, one of said hearings hair" milar upper and lower spring engaging means, two sets of springs each oi" whicl'i sets is composed of a plurality of separate spring finger units each of which ,1 composed of a plurality of fingers united at one end and adapted at that end for independently detachable engagement with any of said spring engaging means, one set of spring finger unit; being engaged with the upper sprinr engaging means while the other set is engaged with the lower spring engaginq means the unsecured .i'ree end portions of the of v .011 set engaging the ther hearing at improximately the level of thee: ire-d ends of the units of the otl set. spring hearing comprising a hearing formed in sections each of which pro=.'idc l with upper and lower spring engaging means, two sets of springs each of which is composed of a plurality of separate spring finger units, each of which is c0m- {mscd of a plurality of fingers united to- ,gcther at one 311i, each of said units conat its finger-uniting end to one of the hearing SCli and engaging one of the sping engaging means thereof and at its opposite free end portions being spa" from "11 hearing sections approx inal. ,l y oppos means thereof.

5. A, spring hearing comprising a bearing in sections, spring fingers in groups, the onnecting metal of said fingers in each to the other spring engaging the bearing, each section of. the hen. having top and bottom on under cut adapted to the connecting met-ai.

6. A spring bearing comprising a hearing sections, spring fingers in groups, the connecting metal of said fingers in each grou conforming to the length of a section hr hearing, each section of the bearii'ig ring groove ng top and bottom an under cut groove lnotgeoi adapted to the connecting metal, and'a pin in each section, there being an orifice in the :smncriing metal of each group of fingers, enacting with said pin.

7. ,2 spring hearing, comprising a bearing ions. spring fingers in groups, the connecting metal 0% said fingers in each -;p conforming to the length and curvat-trc of a section of the bearing, each section of the l'icaring having to and bottom an under cut groove edapte to the connectmg metal, and means to connect the finger 7 con nectir and hearing.

8. A spring bearing, comprising a bear-f ing in sections, spring fingers in groups, the" ing metal of each group of fingers, coactix ig with said pin.

10. A spring bearingcomprising a. bea ing in sections, spring fingers in'groups, tile connecting metal of .said fingers in eailh the hearing having top and adapted to the connect of fingers coacting with 'said comprising a bearing cut groove adapted to" a pin in each section group conforming to the curvature of a, I i non of the bearing, each section of thebea;r-

ing having top and bottom on under cut groove adapted to the connecting metal, and means to connect the finger connections and bearingv 11. A spring bearing, comprising a bearing in sections, spring fingers in groups, the connnecting metal of said group contorming to the curvature of is sootion of the bearing, each section of the begin;

ing having top and bottom an under groove adapted to the connecting metah 'h pin in each section and there being'an'orifice in the connecting metal of each group of fingers coacting with said pin.

lingers, in each 1 A spring bearing comprising an inner hearing and an outer bearing one of which has at its upper end. a downwardly extending "ndercut groove and a plurality of pins projcriing from the periphery helow the groove and at its lower end a similar upwardly extending undercut groove and a similar arrangement of pins above the last named groo e, and two separate sets hf similar spring near one end, one set of which extends withfinger units having orificesin the upper oove and registers through removed and interchangeable with the other 10 its orifices wit the upper pins and contacts spring finger units of both sets.

with the lower part of the other hearing, In testimony of which invention, I have while the other set extends within the lower hereunto set my hand, at Philadelphia, on groove and registers through its orifices this 28th day of June, 1911.

with the lower pins and contacts with the THEODORE H. MILLER. upper part of the last named bearing, each Witnesses: spring finger unit being separate and by the M. M. HAMILTON,

foregoing construction readily applied and E. E. WALL. 

